


Testing the Waters

by oolongmilktea



Category: Free!
Genre: Canon Compliant, Established MomoAi, Established Relationship, Established SouRin, Falling In Love, Fluff and Humor, Friends to Lovers, Getting Together, Jealousy, Kissing, M/M, Pairings are in order of importance, Pining, Sexual Content, Slice of Life, Wet Dream, established Reigisa, the tiniest smidge of angst
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-09-03
Updated: 2018-11-05
Packaged: 2019-07-06 08:17:54
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 14,841
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15882168
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/oolongmilktea/pseuds/oolongmilktea
Summary: "Alright, so here's the plan. You just go in there and seduce him," Ikuya said with absolute seriousness.Asahi looked at him incredulously. "You realise that I am about as seductive as a potato, right?""Just go in there and do it," Ikuya snapped. "Your bravery should sweep him right off his feet.""I'll do it if you seduce Hiyori in return," Asahi challenged. "At the same time.""Ugh deal."-----------Asahi and Ikuya attempt to find ways to deal with pining over their best friends. After a couple of drinks and ice cream tubs, they end up making an agreement to help each other out with their crushes. But, a new development forms between Hiyori and Kisumi, making them spend a lot more time together. Asahi and Ikuya find out very quickly that they were not okay with that.





	1. Keepin' it cool

**Author's Note:**

> I've been pretty obsessed with Free! Dive into the future. I was legit super excited when I found out that there was going to be a 3rd season and ep 8 made me way too happy and giddy inside!!!
> 
> Currently patiently waiting for ep 9, because I'm keen for more fun Hiyori and Ikuya interactions with the gang. Anyways, hope you enjoy this fic!

Asahi stared at his food. Today, he ordered katsudon from the university cafeteria. It wasn't horrible, in fact, it's pretty good. It's just that...he didn't have an appetite. 

It wasn't the katsudon's fault. It was delicious-looking only a few moments ago. That is, after he had an epiphany. An epiphany that made him completely lose his will to eat, despite the loud grumbles from his stomach. 

"Asahi, are you not going to eat?"

Makoto's kind voice snapped him out of his daze. Asahi looked up, meeting Makoto's concerned expression. Haru was there too. Eating without any problems. Asahi was a little envious.

"O-oh, yeah. Sorry, I just...zoned out," Asahi said sheepishly. He rubbed the back of his neck. His skin felt a little warm. 

Makoto chuckled. "You better eat before your food gets cold."

That was the least of Asahi's worries. Soggy and lukewarm katsudon wasn't a bad thing either. Food was food and Asahi wasn't picky. 

"Yeah you're right. I'm so hungry," Asahi said with a strained smile. "Thank you for the meal." 

He picked up a piece of crumbed pork and shoved it into his mouth. The taste was good. Not great, but good. He chewed slowly, savouring the taste. As he made his way through his meal, Asahi found the hunger ebbing away. 

Unfortunately, this didn't apply to the ache in his chest. If katsudon had been the answer, then he would've scoffed down his entire lunch in seconds. 

"Asahi," Makoto called. "Are you sure you're okay?" 

Asahi sighed. He was only half way through his meal, and for some reason he felt very full already. "I'll have to be," he said.

Makoto raised a brow questioningly. "What's wrong?"

The red-haired man rubbed a hand over his face and let out a groan. " _Everything_. I don't know what to do," he whined.

He knew he was being a little dramatic. It's really not the end of the world. Except, it could be. Depending on how Asahi wanted to look at the situation. On one hand, many people would be thrilled to be in his position. On the other, many people understand the annoying part of his situation.

Makoto doesn't seem to have the slightest idea on what's plaguing Asahi's mind. He was debating whether he should come clean or not. Makoto was a great friend and downright loyal too. Asahi felt that he could tell him anything. Or at least, he wanted to be able to tell Makoto anything. 

He still felt conflicted. If Makoto knew something, then Haru would know it too. But Asahi didn't have to worry about Haru. The stoic dark-haired man was not one to gossip. 

 _This,_ however, was huge. So huge that Asahi wasn't ready to reveal it yet. He wasn't ready to come clean. He wasn't ready to admit it. He refused to admit it. 

And the worst part of it all was that the situation was hard to avoid. Especially since it was so in tune with his schedule already that he couldn't just run away. 

Well...he could run away. But that’ll make things more difficult.

Once upon a time ago, Asahi wouldn’t have considered running away an option. He liked to think that he was the kind of person that faced his issues head on...or at least tried to. He convinced himself that only strong people faced their fears head on. 

Unfortunately, as of this moment, he was not one of them. 

"Asahi." This time Haru called out to him.

His expression was serious. The kind that Asahi only saw when Haru was ready to swim. It was intimidating. The red head gulped loudly.

"Yeah?" He breathed. 

"You have to face this head on. There's no point in dwelling," Haru said. Asahi's eyes widened at the words. 

Did Haru know how to read minds?

"Take it from me," Haru added, before standing up with his tray. "I'll see you at practice. Let's go Makoto."

"Huh? O-okay," Makoto stuttered. His chair screeched a bit as he tried to stand up. He looked at Asahi apologetically, "Sorry Asahi, I'll see you later."

Asahi shook his head and gave a small smile. "No, it's all good. I'll see you later, when I'm...less broody."

Makoto looked at him for a moment. "Are you sure you're okay?" he asked.

"Yeah. I'll be fine. Gotta face it head on, right?" Asahi said. _And no point in dwelling either,_ he thought. 

Makoto nodded. He seemed satisfied with his response. "Alright. Call if you need to talk, okay?"

Asahi grinned, "Yeah, I will. Thanks." 

Makoto waved him goodbye as he powerwalked to catch up with Haru. Asahi waved back until his friends were out of sight. His hand slacked as troubling thoughts settled back into his mind. 

 _Gotta face it head on, huh?_ Asahi thought miserably. 

\---

"Haru," Makoto called. The boy next to him replied with a hum. "What you said back there...did you really know what was bothering Asahi?"

Haru shrugged. "No. But whatever it is, he needs to face it head on anyway."

Makoto sighed. "That's such a Haru thing to say."

"I think given my experiences, I would like to think I've learnt my lesson," Haru stated. Makoto laughed. It was a beautiful sound. 

"That's true."

Haru looked at Makoto. _I should probably follow my own advice,_ he thought. _I'm quite the hypocrite, aren't I?_

\---

Asahi considered it to be a blessing that he didn't drown during practice. His times suffered. His strokes were erratic. His form was horrendous. But on the positive side of things, he didn't drown. 

After his mess ups, the swim captain took him aside and asked if there was something bothering him. Unable to lie, he admitted that there was. His captain didn't bother to push and told him to sit out for a bit. 

And here he was sitting down on the bench, damp from the pool. He was not only disappointed in the situation but also disappointed in himself. Before he could throw a pity party in his mind, Asahi perked up at the sound of footsteps nearing towards him.

"Asahi." It was Haru again.

"Hey Haru," he greeted. Albeit, in a dejected manner.

"Are you okay?" Haru asked. Asahi sighed.

"Honestly? No, I'm not," he pouted. Haru took a seat next to him on the bench. "Why are you here? Shouldn't you be doing your laps?"

"I've done them," Haru said. Asahi looked at him in surprise.

"What? You're _done_ swimming for the day?" he squawked. Haru let out a small laugh. The sides of his mouth twitched upwards for a split second.  

"Practice is over. I'm also meeting Makoto for dinner," stated Haru.

"Wait what!" Asahi exclaimed, jumping up from the bench. He took in his surroundings and noticed that his team members have already left. The pool was completely empty, except for him and Haru. "Oh man," he whined, flopping back onto the bench. 

"I told everyone to not bother you." 

Asahi looked at Haru in surprise. "Really?" The other boy nodded. "Why?"

"You seemed really troubled." 

"Well, I would've been...I guess...alright with the distraction." Asahi wasn't sure how true that was. 

"They would've just asked what was bothering you," Haru said. 

Asahi let out a chuckle. "Yeah, probably." 

"You've been very quiet." 

"Are you implying that I'm usually noisy?" Asahi retorted. Haru nodded his head. "Oi."

"That's how I know." Asahi raised a brow. "That's how I know that something is truly bothering you," continued Haru.

Asahi ran a hand through his hair, thinking back to the problem at hand. "Yeah. I guess it's bothering more than I'd like to admit."

"You can get through this." 

"Oh, I don't know about that, Haru." Asahi doubted that his current problem had an easy solution. 

"You will. Just like the time you were able to swim free again," Haru stated. 

"You remember that?" Asahi grinned. 

Haru huffed, "Of course."

He was touched that Haru remembered something so far back in the past. At the time, Asahi felt his world crumbling. Swimming was his life. _Is_ his life. It was one of the biggest obstacles that he had to overcome in his swimming journey. If he told Haru about his current problem, the stoic guy would probably say that it’s not as big of a deal in comparison. 

"Thanks, Haru." Asahi looked at his friend gratefully. 

"Don't worry about it," said Haru. "C'mon let's go eat."

The stoic man stood up without warning and made his way over to the locker rooms. Asahi grinned. _That guy really is something_ , he thought. 

\---

"Haru! Asahi! Over here!" 

Asahi and Haru looked over and saw Makoto standing outside of a restaurant, waving his arm at them. 

"Hey, sorry for tagging along," Asahi apologised, as he and Haru approached their friend. Makoto shook his head with a smile.

"Don't be. Haru already told me that you were coming," he said. Asahi looked at Haru, who in turn, looked away. Makoto chuckled. "Shall we go inside?"

Asahi nodded. "Yeah let's go. I'm starving."

"Good work today at practice. You both must've worked up an appetite," Makoto commented as he opened the door to the restaurant. 

"Yeah, I'm starving," Asahi said. Once Makoto went through, he held the door for Haru, who nodded his thanks. "I hope we don't have to wait too long."

"Seems pretty busy right now," Makoto hummed. The waiting area was filled with other customers. "Let's just put our name down on the waiting list anyway." They went over to the clip board that was placed on a stand near the register. Asahi noticed that Makoto wrote down the number four instead of three next to his name.

"Is there someone else joining us?" Asahi asked.

Makoto nodded, "Kisumi will be coming later. He said his club activities ran a little late. So, he told us to get a table first and he'll come as soon as he’s done."

Asahi froze. "O-oh, Kisumi is coming, huh?"

"Yeah," Makoto confirmed.

“Ah…cool,” Asahi supplied.

"Is that okay?" Makoto asked, his tone curious. He looked concerned. Probably noticing how tense the red head was.

"Y-yeah! Of course! W-why wouldn't it be?" Asahi stuttered. He cursed at himself mentally. His stutter didn't go unnoticed by Haru either. What a way to divert the suspicion.

"Did something happen with you and Kisumi?" Haru asked. Asahi snapped his head to him.

"With Ki _su_ mi?" His voice broke. Asahi wanted nothing more than the ground to swallow him whole. He started laughing nervously. "I–uhm...you know–uh..."

Makoto opened his mouth to say something. He was interrupted abruptly by a waitress calling out his name. "Yes!" Makoto called out with his arm raised, signalling to the waitress.

Asahi sighed in relief. _Bless that waitress_ , he thought. Once they arrived at their table and took their seats, Asahi immediately grabbed the menu. He held it up to cover his face.

"So, what did you guys feel like eating today?" He asked. Rather obnoxiously too. Asahi knew that he was digging himself a bigger hole by flustering. There was no way his friends were going to let the topic go after his suspicious behaviour.

"Asahi." He winced. This time it felt like Haru was saying _cut the shit_ with just his name. He slowly lowered the menu to reveal Makoto's and Haru's concerned expression. 

"What's going on?" Makoto asked.

“Nothing!” Asahi defended.

“Are you sure?”

“Yes?”

Makoto narrowed his eyes. “Was that an answer or a question?”

"Did you and Kisumi have a fight?" Haru asked.

Asahi wished. That would have been much easier to solve if it was just a fight. "Uh...no," he wheezed.

"Oh. Then...are you angry at him or something?" Makoto prodded. Asahi shook his head. 

"No. It's nothing like that," he said. "It's just..." he let out a sound of frustration. "It's complicated."

"Complicated how?" Haru asked. 

"I may...or may not...uhh you know..." Asahi felt his heart thump loudly. He felt his palms moisten with sweat. Haru and Makoto looked at him with seriousness. Gulping loudly, he thought, _fuck it._ They were his friends. They deserved to know.

"Okay," he said, placing the menu completely flat on the table. "The truth is...I'm in love with–"

" _Oh?_  There's someone out there who has taken Asahi's heart hostage?" 

Asahi felt his stomach drop. He slowly turned towards the familiar, silky voice. He felt his side of the booth shift as another body slid next to him.

"Hey Kisumi," Makoto greeted. Haru simply nodded.

"Hey guys. Sorry for being late," Kisumi apologised. 

"That's okay, you did let us know in advance. We actually haven't ordered yet," Makoto said, looking down at the menu. 

"I already know what I want," Haru said. Not that it was much of a surprise. 

"Oh, what are you ordering Haru?" asked Makoto. Then it dawned on him, "Ah wait. Never mind." 

Kisumi hummed, " _Haru_ , you should try other things once in a while."

"I am. I'm getting mackerel karaage this time," Haru stated. 

"How is that any different to what you usually get?" Kisumi whined. Haru shrugged.

"I usually get grilled mackerel." 

The pinkette sighed. "As expected of Haru."

Asahi tried not to sigh loudly in relief at the change of topic. He picked the menu up and looked at his dinner options. He only got to read the first three options until Kisumi distracted him...by getting very _very close._

"Uhh–Kisumi, what are you doing?" Asahi asked. He felt a lump form in his throat.

Kisumi looked at him through his lashes. "I don't have a menu, so I thought I'd share with you," he said. His tone was cheerful... _cheeky_ even.

Asahi tried to play it off. "T-then why don't you ask the waitress to give you one?" he scoffed, leaning back slightly. 

"There's no need since we're going to order soon," Kisumi said as he scanned the menu. Completely unaware of the effect his proximity had on Asahi.

"Eh? Do you not have a menu Kisumi? You can take Haru's, since he knows what he's going to order," Makoto suggested. He really is an angel.

 _Bless you, Makoto_ , Asahi thought.

Kisumi had the nerve to get even closer. "Ah thank you Makoto, but it's okay. I'll just share with Asahi," he chirped. 

The red head felt his body heat up at the pinkette's closeness. He could smell the other's cologne. It was musky, with a little hint of sweetness. _How fitting_ , Asahi thought. His palms were getting sweaty again. 

"Ugh fine. I already know what I want. Here," Asahi shoved the menu into Kisumi's face. "Take the menu." He lied. He didn't know what he was going to order. He had been too busy trying not to spontaneously combust that he hadn't read the menu properly.

"Hmm I'm not sure whether I should get rice or noodles," Kisumi hummed, his mouth curled into a pout. There was a sheen on his bottom lip if Asahi _really_ looked. He couldn't help thinking about Kisumi's lips and whether they were as soft as they looked. 

"Asahi." Said boy snapped out of his thoughts. Kisumi had called him. "Can you press the button."

"O-oh yeah sure,” he rasped. A bell rang through the restaurant and not a moment later, a waitress arrived at their table. Asahi realised that he still hadn't decided what he was going to order. When it was his turn he just replied, "Katsudon please."

"Katsudon again? You must be having a craving them today, huh Asahi?" Makoto commented with a sunny smile. 

Asahi laughed nervously. "Yeah...I guess so." Well, it wasn't like katsudon was bad. It had a fried pork cutlet, rice and egg. What more would a person want?

Kisumi turned towards him, elbows resting on the table and his head propped on his hand. " _So_."

The redhead looked at him, blanching at the sly grin on Kisumi's _pretty_ face. "So?"

"Who is the object of your affections?" Kisumi asked. His eyes twinkled. Asahi tried to convince himself that there was nothing but evil behind them. And there was no way he was going to admit his crush when they were sitting right next to him. 

"Kisumi," Makoto chided. 

"What? I'm just _curious_ ," the pinkette sang. "We're all friends here, right?" The enthusiasm was blinding. Asahi was completely fine with Kisumi's nosiness, as long as he wasn't the subject. "C'mon Asahi, tell me, _please,_ " Kisumi pleaded, batting his eyelashes.

Asahi felt his heart skipped a beat. Curse his pretty face and his pretty eyes and his pretty...everything. Damn it all!

"Kisumi, knock it off," Haru said, as though he sensed Asahi's discomfort. 

"If Asahi doesn't want to reveal anything, then it's none of our business," Makoto supplied gently. 

Kisumi reluctantly backed off. "Oh okay. Sorry Asahi," he apologised with a pout, placing a hand on the red head's lap. 

Asahi felt his entire body tingle at the touch. "It's alright," he mumbled, turning his head away, trying to hide his blush. He tried not to be disappointed when Kisumi's hand left his lap. 

"Anyway, how were your club activities?" Makoto asked. Kisumi perked up at the question.

"Really good! We have a performance coming up, so I'm really excited. That's also why I was a little late today. Rehearsal dragged on longer than scheduled," Kisumi said. 

"Performance?" Makoto enquired. 

"Yeah! One of the clubs I joined was the university dance club." Kisumi's posture puffed up with pride. 

"Dance? Wait, you joined a dance club?" Asahi wasn't sure why he found it surprising. Kisumi was the only one out of their friend group that wasn't a swimmer. It shouldn't have been weird to find out that he had other hobbies. But this seemed like news to everyone. 

"Only recently. I was lucky that they were still taking in members. I guess there was a few people that couldn't fit the performance into their schedule," Kisumi explained.

"I didn't know you could dance," Haru stated.

Kisumi chuckled, "There's a lot of things that you don't know about me, Haru." Asahi felt like that was applicable to him too. 

"When's the performance? We'll come to cheer you on," Makoto said. 

"I'm not going." 

"Haru!" 

Kisumi giggled. "It's alright, you guys don't have to come. Just getting to hang out with you all like this is enough for me." That brought a smile out of all of them. Even Haru. 

Asahi felt greedy. He wanted more. More of Kisumi.

\---

The rest of the dinner went off without a hitch. Asahi felt himself relax throughout the night as he focused on the group's conversation. Rather than the beautiful man next to him. He felt relieved that the topic of love life didn't arise again during the night.  

" _Asahi_ ," Kisumi cooed. The swimmer wished his friend wouldn't say his name like that. It did things to him. Things that were not PG rated. 

"Yeah?" he croaked.

"We're _friends,_ right?" Asahi didn't like his tone. 

"Yeah." 

"And friends tell each other stuff." He didn't like where this was going. "Don't they?"

"Yeah." 

" _So..._ "

 _Shit shit shit_ , Asahi mentally panicked. Makoto and Haru had left in the opposite direction. There was no one to save him now. He was also terrible at lying, so there was no way he could bullshit his way out of this one. Kisumi was also _extremely_ good at extracting information from people. 

"Why didn't you tell me you joined a dance club?" Asahi blurted. His question seemed to have taken Kisumi by surprise.

"Oh. Well, like I said before, it was very recent. I joined around two weeks ago?" Kisumi smiled. "We haven't spent much time with each other lately, so that's probably why I haven't been able to mention it."

Asahi pouted. "But we text every day, why didn't you mention it then?"

Kisumi giggled, "I'm sorry. I didn't realise that my joining a dance club would be such a big deal." It wasn't. Asahi just didn't want the spotlight to be on him.

"Didn't you just say that friends tell each other things?" Asahi scoffed. He was being hypocritical by saying that. 

Kisumi looked over at him. Asahi turned away as he felt his face warm up. "That's true. From now on I will tell you everything about myself," the pinkette declared. 

Asahi snorted. "That's not necessary."

"Says the person who got angry," Kisumi teased.

"I did not get angry!" Asahi squawked, snapping his gaze over to the man beside him. Kisumi held a hand over his mouth as he giggled. It was a beautiful sound. Asahi wondered what other sounds could come out of him.

 _Woah! Okay, where the hell did that come from?_ _he thought._ He needed to calm down. It was not the time to have dirty thoughts.

"So, who’s the lucky girl?"

What? Girl? 

Asahi eye’s widened, while the pinkette stared back at him with a coy expression. "Don't think you're going to get away from me that easy," he sang. "Tell me about her."

His mouth felt dry. His palms were getting sweaty for the nth time that night.

"Uhmm.” He wished Haru and Makoto were still with him. So very much. 

When he didn't answer, Kisumi's expression softened. "It's okay if you don't want to tell me. Sorry that I–" 

"It's not a girl," Asahi blurted. He wanted to hit himself on the head. Out of _all_ of the things he could have said, it was that. It wasn't that he was ashamed of his sexuality. In fact, he's quite open about it. He just hasn't told any of his old friends. Kisumi included.

"Oh." Was all the pinkette said.

Asahi's face was burning. "Yeah," he said for the 100th time.

"A woman then?" Kisumi offered. Then he gasped, "Oh my Asahi! You’re in love with an older woman?" 

"Wait what?" Asahi raised a brow until the words clicked in his head. "No! N-no no no no," he refused, frantically waving his hands.

“Don’t lie,” Kisumi teased.

Asahi sighed in frustration, “No, I’m being serious. I’m not in love with a woman.”

Kisumi raised a brow, looking utterly confused. "Eh? Then..." His eyes widened in realisation.

Asahi turned away. He noticed that they both stopped walking. He contemplated on whether to make a run for it. The idea was starting to become very appealing as Kisumi stayed silent. 

He had been lucky in high school. His teammates had been strangely open-minded about his sexuality when the 'dating' topic came up. His teammates asked him if he had a girlfriend and he had simply replied with, _'Nah. I do have a boyfriend though_ '. His teammates didn't bat an eye. They even asked how he and his boyfriend were from time to time. 

Asahi realised that this didn't apply for everyone. Not everyone was open about things like that. He hoped that Kisumi wasn’t someone that he would have to worry about. Crushing on his best friend was one thing. But him hating Asahi or thinking that he was disgusting would crush him completely. At most, Asahi hoped that Kisumi could tolerate his sexuality on the chance that he didn't agree with it.

"Me too."

The red head whirled around. Kisumi was looking down at the ground. He looked shy. His usual exuberant self was nowhere to be seen and it was a sight to see. If the subject matter hadn't been so personal, Asahi would've teased the other man. 

"What?" Asahi murmured. 

"I said, me too," Kisumi repeated as he tucked a piece of hair behind his ear. 

Asahi was shocked. "You too?"

Kisumi nodded. There was an awkward silence. Asahi scratched the back of his neck and bit his lip. They both just came out to each other. 

They both just _came out_ to each other. 

Kisumi just _came out_ to him...

Kisumi just…

“Asahi?”

“Yes?” It ended up being a squeak rather than a reply.

The pinkette raised a brow at him. He had an amused grin on his face. “Are you okay?”

Asahi was starting to really dislike that question. _But I’d ask me that too_ , he thought. “Y-yeah. Actually…”

 _Actually_ …

An epiphany occurred to him. Kisumi just _came out_ to him. **_Came out_. ** Therefore, he swung that way. _Therefore_ , Asahi has a _chance_. He has a **chance**! He felt his heart race. Joy filled his chest. The sides of his mouth twitched upwards.

“This is an interesting turn of events isn’t it?” Kisumi commented as he crossed his arms, looking off to the side. There was a faint blush on Kisumi’s cheeks.

“What is?” Asahi asked. He shoved his hands into the pockets of his jacket as an attempt to look casual. He didn’t want to seem too eager at the idea that Kisumi, his best friend, was _gay._ He also wanted to relish the sight of him being uncharacteristically timid. And being a little awkward too.

“Well, for starters, out of all of the years I’ve known you, you didn’t bother to tell me you were gay,” Kisumi chuckled. It sounded nervous. Asahi saw him shifting his weight from one hip to the other.  

“Wha–” Asahi squawked. His eyes narrowed when Kisumi smiled coyly. _Two can play at this game_ , he thought. Smirking, “I could say the same for you. I thought we were best friends?”

Kisumi hummed, “Yes because that would’ve been a _great_ conversation starter.”

Asahi thought about how that conversation could’ve gone. He hoped that Kisumi would’ve been all shy, much like he was today. Maybe some stuttering as he tried to confess his sexuality to Asahi. Then, Asahi would stand tall, hold his shoulders back as he told Kisumi that he was okay with it. It would play out like a drama, where the main character then sweeps his love interest of their feet and theatrically kiss the life out of them. Once the kiss was over, Asahi would look into Kisumi’s eyes and confess his feelings–

He was getting ahead of himself. That was _most certainly_ not how the conversation would’ve gone. Asahi was putting his _current_ feelings into a hypothetical conversation that they should’ve had in the past. At a time when Asahi was _dating_ someone else. Someone who had peach coloured hair, a beautiful face and–

Wait, no. He was describing Kisumi. His ex-boyfriend had brown hair. Not even a colour that was remotely similar to the peach shades of Kisumi’s locks. It was a colour that was…ordinary.

 _Sorry Makoto_ , Asahi thought apologetically about his brown-haired friend.

“Okay, you’re right. It would’ve been a bit abrupt to bring something like that up randomly,” Asahi settled. “However, I’m not gay, I’m bisexual.”

“Didn’t want to leave anyone behind, huh?” Kisumi teased. “You’re still a pervert as always.”

“Wha–Kisumi, you bastard! I am not a pervert!” Asahi defended.

“Be careful Asahi, the more defensive you get, the truer it becomes,” Kisumi sang, hiding his grin behind his hand. A gesture that was cheeky and maybe a little sexy. Asahi wondered if it was a gesture that Kisumi would use to stifle his moans when they’d be in bed–

If. _If_ , they’d be in bed. Not when. He was getting ahead of himself again. He really was a pervert.

“Oh, whatever you jerk,” Asahi huffed, crossing his arms. He was too flushed from his thoughts to come up with a proper retort. “Anyway…when did you…you know? Figure it out?”

“Probably when I watched a basketball match and paid more attention to the men rather than the game,” Kisumi stated. He didn’t sound ashamed at all. Wistful, at most.

“And you just…accepted it?” Asahi asked hesitantly.

Kisumi shook his head. “No. I believe that these sorts of things…you just need to accept it. I know that’s not the case with everyone, but it’s better than denying something you can’t control. Once I’ve accepted it, I…became a happier person.” There was a twinge of sadness in his words. Asahi felt his heartache. Kisumi’s expression looked guarded like there was more to his words.

“Kisumi…” Asahi murmured. That last question might’ve been out of line. “I’m sorr–”

“Don’t apologize,” Kisumi interrupted. Asahi didn’t notice that he was looking at the ground until he lifted his gaze to meet Kisumi’s. The pinkette had his infamous cheeky smile back on his face.

“But–”

“But what?” Asahi wasn’t sure. He felt like he should apologise for asking an insensitive question. “What you asked wasn’t out of line,” Kisumi said, as though he read his mind. “It was an honest question.”

Asahi didn’t know what to say to that. He still wanted to apologise for whatever caused Kisumi to make that dark expression.

“Okay.” Was what Asahi settled for.

“Don’t worry about it,” Kisumi reassured. “C’mon, let’s walk the rest of the way home,” he suggested.

“Okay,” Asahi replied. A little reluctant to let the subject matter go. They both resumed walking.

“I’m glad that we had this conversation, Asahi,” Kisumi said. His bright smile appearing again on his face as he looked over at Asahi.

The redhead smiled back. “Yeah, me too.” And he was. Very much so. _Because I have a chance now_ , he thought giddily.

“Wow, I just realised this is really funny,” Kisumi commented.

“What’s funny?” Asahi asked.

“The fact that our entire friend group is sexually attracted to men.”

Wait, what?

“What do you mean, _wait what?_ ” Kisumi imitated Asahi’s tone. Apparently, he said his thoughts aloud.

“I meant exactly that,” Asahi squawked. “What do _you_ mean that our entire friend group is sexually attracted to men?”

“I meant exactly that,” Kisumi retorted. Asahi stared at him in disbelief. “Actually, I realised that you don’t know Rin and Sousuke, but they’re in a relationship,” he added with a wave of the hand.

“Hold on, are you saying that Makoto and Haru are…”

Kisumi shook his head. “Oh no, they’re not in a relationship. But they are gay.”

Asahi felt his mind explode. “They told you this?”

“Makoto did,” Kisumi hummed.

“What about Haru?” The water-loving guy didn’t seem to be the kind of person that would speak about his private life. To Kisumi, no less.

“I figured it out.”

Asahi raised a brow. “What do you mean you figured it out? So, he didn’t actually admit it to you?”

“He didn’t need to when all he does is gaze at Makoto with such _loving_ eyes,” Kisumi stated. Asahi blinked. He did not notice that. But in his defence, when they were all together, he doesn’t spend much time looking at anyone besides the pinkette. “It’s pretty cute. Wished someone would look at me like that.”

Asahi wasn’t sure whether to be relieved or disappointed at that comment. “Yeah, me too.”

“Don’t you mean…the guy you’re in love with?” Kisumi teased.

“Ugh why can’t you just drop it?” Asahi groaned as the other laughed. 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you enjoyed that! 
> 
> The next chapter will be all about Ikuya figuring out his feelings for Hiyori and why he's strangely jealous over his best friend :D
> 
> Should be a fun ride.


	2. Sink or Swim

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> First of all, I'd like to say thank you to everyone for your support for this fic!!! I appreciate every kudos, comment or hit that comes through on this fic, it really means a lot!
> 
> This chapter will be primarily focusing on Ikuya, so I hope you enjoy~
> 
> P.S. He's SUPER HARD TO WRITE. I don't know if I did his character justice, but I hope to develop his character in this fic and how he changes according to the plot. I tried my best tho ;3;

Ikuya stared at his slice of cake. It was pistachio cream and vanilla sponge. His favorite. He looked up at Hiyori from across the table. The brown-haired man was currently typing on his phone. Probably texting someone.

It bothered him. A lot more than he wanted to admit.

“Hiyori,” Ikuya called out. Said man looked up from his phone.

“Sorry Ikuya, I just need to quickly reply to my friend,” he apologized sheepishly. Almost as though he was ashamed that he wasn’t pouring his undivided attention to Ikuya. Not that Ikuya expected it. Or wanted it.

“Oh, okay,” Ikuya settled. He looked back down at his cake. He should really eat it. If he left it out for too long, the cream won’t be as chilled and the sponge will get soggy. But, for some reason, that wasn’t what bothered him. He looked at Hiyori. He was still texting. Ikuya noticed that this time he was typing faster. The kind of fast typing that meant the conversation got exciting. He frowned when he saw the sides of Hiyori’s mouth twitched upwards.  _ Who is this friend?  _ he wondered.

Ikuya let out a quiet sigh and finally took a bite out of his cake. It was good. Not great, but good enough. He found it hard to swallow. Not because the cake wasn’t soft and fluffy. It was unusual. There wasn’t a time where he wouldn’t scarf down a slice of his favorite flavored cake. Hiyori used to always tease him about that. Laughing at him while he stuffed his face with cake.

_ ‘Don’t eat it too fast, you have to savor it,’  _ he would say.

And now, Hiyori wasn’t even paying attention to him. Ikuya didn’t feel like finishing the rest of the piece. He scrunched his face at the small chunk on his fork. He felt offended. 

“Is the cake not good?” Ikuya snapped his gaze to Hiyori. His phone was put away. His attention completely on Ikuya. For the first time that day.

“It’s okay,” he replied as he took a bite. It wasn’t as good anymore. The cream was room temperature and the sponge was soggy. Much like his mood.

“Sorry about the texting. My friend had to discuss something pretty important with me,” Hiyori apologized again.

“It’s fine. Have you sorted it out?” Ikuya asked. He noticed that Hiyori hadn't ordered cake. Instead, he had only ordered a small cup of coffee, reminding Ikuya that he had also ordered one. It was right next to his cake...which he had totally forgotten about. The coffee was most likely lukewarm by now.

Hiyori nodded. “Yeah, it’s all settled for the meantime,” he said, taking a sip of his coffee. He had ordered a cappuccino. Ikuya didn’t prefer coffee with milk. He didn’t really like the froth. And yet, he couldn’t keep his eyes off the milk-stache that covered Hiyori’s upper lip.

“Hiyori, you got something on your...” Ikuya murmured, gesturing at the area on his own face. Hiyori tried to lick it off. His pink tongue darting out and swiping over his upper lip. He didn’t get all of it. Some of the foam got pushed to the corner of his mouth. Ikuya stared. 

“Did I get it?” Hiyori asked, already reaching over for a napkin.

Ikuya felt his body move first. He reached over and wiped the rest of the foam off with his thumb, brushing over the top of Hiyori’s lip in the process. It was soft and warm.

The look of surprise on Hiyori’s face made him jolt out of his daze. “There. All gone,” Ikuya said. He averted his gaze and grabbed a napkin. Warmth spread over his cheeks as he wiped his thumb. Albeit, a little aggressively.

“Thanks, Ikuya,” Hiyori chirped. As though nothing happened. Ikuya looked through his lashes and saw a grin on Hiyori’s face. He felt offended again. 

“Hiyori...you’re acting weird,” Ikuya muttered.

“Hmm? I’m always weird,” Hiyori replied nonchalantly. No. This was different. 

Since the newcomer's tournament, Ikuya noticed that Hiyori had started to become more vibrant. His smiles were brighter. His laughs were loud and genuine. His swimming times improved immensely. Something about him had changed.

“You know...I feel like we’ve had this conversation before,” Hiyori hummed. His head was propped up on his palm, his elbow resting on top of the table. His eyes were tilted downwards and his expression was thoughtful. Like he was daydreaming.

“What do you mean?” Ikuya asked. He was intrigued. Did they really have this conversation before?

Hiyori opened his mouth to say something. But then closed it. “Actually, never mind,” he chuckled.

Hiyori shrugged and went back to sipping his coffee without another word. Ikuya’s eyebrows furrowed. He decided to let it go. Looking back at his cake for the nth time, he decided that he won’t finish it. Placing the fork down, he pushed his plate away.

“You’re not going to finish it?” Hiyori asked in surprise. 

Ikuya shrugged. “It’s not as good as it usually is.” He wasn’t lying. The cake didn’t taste as good as it usually did. Although, he had a feeling that it had a lot more to do with something else rather than the cake itself. “You can have it if you want,” he said.

Hiyori raised a brow. “Really?” 

“Yeah.” Ikuya didn’t care. He lost his appetite.

“Are you  _ sure  _ ?” Ikuya couldn’t care less about the cake. It had offended him way too many times. At least, that’s what he tried to convince himself. “You won’t get it back, you know?” The teasing in Hiyori’s tone didn’t go unnoticed. How nostalgic. 

“Yes,” he said with conviction. Attempting to show that he really didn’t care, Ikuya took interest in his lukewarm coffee. He took a sip. Adequate. Better than the cake. Its bitterness resonated with his current mood.

Hiyori grinned. “Alright, your loss.” He picked up Ikuya’s used fork and dug right into the cake.

Ikuya felt a strange tingle of pleasure at the act. He noticed the way Hiyori’s lips engulfed the fork. He noticed how Hiyori used his lips to scrape every bit of the dessert as he pulled the fork out. He noticed how the cutlery came out clean. And most of all, he noticed the same tingle of pleasure that ran along his spine when he heard a satisfied hum come out of the man across him.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about Ikuya, it’s still good,” Hiyori commented, happily eating what’s left of Ikuya’ cake. “Too bad you can’t have it back now.”

The green-haired swimmer let out a breath of a laugh. “I could just order another one,” he retorted playfully.

“I guess I’ll just have to eat that one too,” Hiyori smirked. Before Ikuya knew it, the plate was empty. Perhaps the cake wasn’t so bad after all. Maybe his tongue was broken today.

“Anyway Hiyori, did you want to–” Ikuya was cut off by a loud vibration.  

Hiyori took out his phone out from his pocket and looked at the caller i.d. Ikuya couldn’t see who called him. “Sorry Ikuya, I’m going to take this outside. I’ll be right back,” Hiyori apologised as he stood up from his chair. All Ikuya could do was nod. He didn’t have any time to say anything before Hiyori disappeared from his sight.

He was left alone. With his thoughts. And his lukewarm coffee. He started to pay attention to the chatter of the cafe. His eyes scanned around. There were families. Groups of friends. Couples.

Ikuya’s eyes landed on one couple that occupied a booth diagonally across his table. It was a male and female couple. They were holding hands. Ikuya didn’t miss how the man caressed the back of his girlfriend’s hand with his thumb. He also didn’t miss the blush that blossomed on her face as she looked at him. As though nothing else mattered. As though he was the only she would ever look at. The man had the exact same expression on his face.

Suddenly a wave of loneliness came washing over him. A kind of loneliness that he had never felt before. It wasn’t the loneliness that came with someone leaving him. It was the kind that made him want someone to be with him. Someone to be with him always. Someone to look at him the same way the couple looked at each other. A certain someone...perhaps?

Ikuya looked away from the couple. He frowned at the ache he felt in his chest. It was different to the ache he used to get when he was at his worst. It wasn’t the searing hot pain that came with his brother leaving him behind, so he could stand on his own. It didn’t even compare to the same ache that came with Haru quitting the swim club. This ache felt deeper. Like it was coming from his heart.

“Sorry about that again Ikuya. I tried to end the conversation as soon as possible but it was pretty important.” Hiyori came back into his field of vision. “I didn’t make you wait too long did I?”

Ikuya suddenly felt his mood lift. “That was quick,” he commented. Hiyori raised a brow questioningly.

“I was out there for at least 20 minutes.” Ikuya shrugged. It felt fast to him. Probably because he was occupied trying to sort himself out internally.

“It’s okay. You’re here now,” Ikuya said. Hiyori didn’t seem convinced.

“Are you okay?” he asked. “You know you can always tell me if there’s something wrong, right?” His face showed concern.

“I’m fine, Hiyori. Don’t worry,” Ikuya reassured. “Anyway, so did you–” A loud vibration cut him off again. He swore that he could feel his vein pop out on his forehead. The vibration wasn’t continuous, meaning that it had been a text message. What irked Ikuya was the fact that Hiyori was back on his phone again. Texting at lightning speed.

Hiyori sighed heavily. “I’m so sorry, Ikuya. I’m going to have to cut this short. Kisumi wants me at the studio now.” He was already standing as he picked up his backpack and slung over his shoulder. Looking at Ikuya apologetically, he said, “I’ll make it up to you tomorrow, okay? But for now, I’ll handle the bill.”

Ikuya frowned. “Kisumi? You’re on a first name basis now?” he asked, completely ignoring the last part.

“Yeah. We’ve gotten a lot closer since he’s gotten me to join the dance club with him,” Hiyori explained. Ikuya identified several things in that sentence.

One. Hiyori and Kisumi have gotten...closer? How close were they before? Two. Dance? Since when did Hiyori know how to dance? And three. Kisumi got Hiyori to join a dance club when he was a swimmer. This was the first time Ikuya was hearing all of this. He felt offended for the third time that day.

“You  _ dance  _ ?” Ikuya asked. “I didn’t know you can  _ dance  _ .” He couldn’t hide the incredulity in his voice.

Hiyori chuckled, “There are a lot of things that you don’t know about me, Ikuya.”

“Wha–” That took him aback. There were lots of things that he knew about Hiyori. He’d like to think so, anyway. What else was there to him? What else was there that he wasn’t telling Ikuya?

“Anyhow, I really got to run. I’ll see you at practice tomorrow,” Hiyori said.

“Oh okay,” Ikuya muttered.

“Don’t worry, I won’t forget to make it up to you,” Hiyori chirped. Ikuya didn’t realise he was looking down until he looked up to meet the brown-haired man’s grin. One that made him all that more handsome. “I’ll see you tomorrow, okay?” And then, Hiyori had the audacity to wink at him.

Ikuya felt his face heat up as he watched Hiyori walk out of the cafe. He covered his face with his hands, sighing heavily into them. He didn’t know where all of these conflicting emotions were coming from. One moment he felt happy and then the next he felt annoyed. Not long after that, he’d feel a little sad or lonely. Or both.

What was with him today? He tried to think back what annoyed him first.

The cake.  _ No, that wasn’t it,  _ he thought. He really needed to stop blaming the cake.

Maybe it was the coffee? It couldn’t have been that either since he forgot about it for the most part. In fact, it was still on the table. Unfinished and cold.

He tried to think harder, dragging his hands over his face in mild frustration. Ikuya felt stuck. His eyes wandered back towards the couple. They were no longer sitting across from each other. The boyfriend had moved next to his girlfriend with one arm wrapped around her shoulders. She leaned against him.

Ikuya felt like he was intruding on their moment. Except, he also didn’t really care because they were doing PDA in a moderately full cafe. The couple were so into each other that they probably wouldn’t notice Ikuya staring at them anyway. At this point, there were no fucks given.

The guy had a soft smile on his face. The girl blushed. Then, the guy leaned in slowly. Their lips met. It was like a scene from a drama. Or a romantic movie. The scene was so sweet that Ikuya felt guilty. Not for watching them, but for the big, ugly surge of envy that welled up inside of him. He pettily hoped that the guy had bad breath and the girl would sneeze on him once the kiss was over.

Unfortunately, that didn’t happen. The kiss ended with both parties having loving looks on their faces. Ikuya wanted to spill his cold coffee on them out of childish jealousy. Before his body could move on its own again, he decided that it was time to leave. He reached for the bill, only to remember that Hiyori had already taken care of it. A small smile crept up on his face at the thought of the brown-haired swimmer.

Ikuya slung his backpack over his shoulder and stood up from his chair. On his way to the exit of the cafe, he took one last glance at the couple. The girl had her phone out, front camera on and her boyfriend leaning in close. Right before she took the photo, the guy quickly kissed her on the cheek as the shutter of the camera went off. They broke away giggling.

Ikuya felt envious. So envious. A little  _ too  _ envious.

With a huff, he turned on his heel and stormed out of the cafe. He hadn’t realized how late in the day it was until he saw how dark the sky was.  _ How fitting  _ .  _ The sky is just as dark as my mood,  _  he thought pettily.

On his way to the bus stop, he felt his phone vibrate. It was a text from Natsuya.

_ Yo, Ikuya. Can I come over later? _

He thought about it for a moment. Deciding that he could use the distraction, he texted back.

_ Sure. _

Natsuya’s reply came swiftly.  _ I’ll see you later. _

Ikuya wondered why his brother suddenly wanted to come over and visit him. It wasn’t that he didn’t want to see him, but Natsuya had his own crazy schedule. If he could even call it that. Impulsive tendencies might be more appropriate in this case. His brother was a loose canon. And he had only become more troublesome since he had reached the drinking age. Least to say, over the years, Ikuya began to appreciate their time apart.

Actually, when he really thought about it, since he’s met Hiyori, Ikuya had never bothered to look for his brother anymore. The loneliness that he used to feel when Natsuya wasn’t around was no longer a perpetual ache that plagued him. And it was mostly because Hiyori was there.

He’s always been there.

Ikuya blinked. Hiyori has  _ always  _ been there for him. When he had drowned in America, Hiyori had been the one to save him. When he was in the hospital recovering, Hiyori visited him everyday and entertained him. When he had gotten a bad fever in high school, Hiyori was the one who nursed him back to health. When he had finally reconciled with Haru, Makoto and Asahi, Hiyori pushed him towards them.

That last one surprised him.  _ That can’t be right  _ , Ikuya thought. He still saw Hiyori almost every day. They also see each other at practice. But, recently, he did note that they haven’t been hanging out after practice like they normally do. Nor have they been able to have lunch together at uni like they used to. He did recall Hiyori saying that he was pretty busy.

_ ‘Ah, actually, I have something else on. Sorry Ikuya, but I’ll catch you tomorrow at practice’  _ was what he had said. Not  _ ‘I’ll see you for lunch’  _ or  _ ‘I’ll see you in the morning’  _ . Always,  _ ‘I’ll catch you tomorrow at practice’  _ . Or if they didn’t have practice the next day, it would be  _ ‘I’ll see you later at practice’  _ . Ikuya didn’t know which one irked him more.

He sighed heavily. It was unusual for these sorts of thoughts to bother him. He felt extremely bothered. And he wasn’t even sure what was the root of the problem. He got to see Hiyori today didn’t he? So, why was he so annoyed?

_Probably because when he was_ ** _finally_** _free to hang out, he ended up ditching me anyway_ , he thought bitterly.

Suddenly Ikuya felt someone bump into him. He jerked from the impact. Whirling around to face the stranger, he bowed his head and automatically apologised, “Sorry. I wasn’t watching where I was going.”

“Aah no no, it should be me who’s sorry. I was the one who bumped into you,” the stranger said. “You were actually standing still, so I’m sorry.”

Ikuya flushed at the comment. He really should get home. Straightening his back, he looked up. And up and up, until he met the stranger’s eyes. The stranger was looking at him with a weird expression. He must think Ikuya was an odd pickle.

“Right. Sorry, again. Please excuse me,” Ikuya said stiffly as he turned around, ready to break into a brisk walk.

“Wait,” the stranger said. Ikuya looked over his shoulder.

“Yes?” he asked.

The stranger looked awkward. “Are you by any chance, Kirishima Ikuya?”

Ikuya raised a brow. “Who wants to know?”

“I’m Yamazaki Sousuke. I’m an acquaintance of your brother, Kirishima Natsuya-san.” He’s never met any acquaintances of Natsuya. Well, aside from that one ex-girlfriend he dated back when he was in America.

“Okay.” Ikuya wasn’t sure how to reply. “What did you want?”

“Actually,” Sousuke started. “I have a favor to ask.”

Despite his exterior, Ikuya could see that he was harmless. There was kindness in those vibrant teal eyes. “What kind of favor?” He asked.

Sousuke looked embarrassed. “Uhh, do you know where this place is?” He asked, pulling out his phone to show an address. Ikuya frowned. It was the cafe that he was in earlier.

“Oh, this is in the opposite direction. You’ve already went passed it,” he said. “It’s just down that way.” Ikuya pointed towards the direction that he came from.

“Ah, I see. Thank you so much for that,” Sousuke said with a relieved smile.

Ikuya returned a smile small back. “Not a problem.”

“Well, I’ll probably see you around,” Sousuke bid. “Thanks again, Kirishima-san.”

Ikuya nodded. Just as they were about to separate ways, Sousuke’s words took effect. “Ah, Yamazaki-san!” He called out.

The taller man looked back. “Yes?”

“How did you know my brother?” Ikuya asked.

Sousuke grinned, “We met at a swimming training camp and he helped me made my decision. Anyway, catch you later.” And with that, he was off.

_ Yamazaki Sousuke,  _ Ikuya thought. The name sounded familiar.

———

Rin checked the time on his wrist watch. _ Sousuke was late. He probably got lost again  _ , he thought. Just when he pulled out his phone to make a call, he received a text message from the lost man himself.

_ I see you  _ .

Rin frowned. Looking up from his phone, he scanned the area around him for a familiar face. He was currently in front of the cafe that they agreed to meet at. Which, in hindsight, was a silly decision considering the severity of Sousuke’s road-blindness. Rin searched harder in the crowd. His eyes landing on anyone remotely resembling his boyfriend. Giving up, he texted Sousuke.

_ I don’t see you. Where are you? _

Once the message went sent, a pair of hands closed over his eyes. Rin let out a yelp. He heard a familiar deep chuckle. “Guess who?”

Rin let out a laugh at Sousuke’s poor attempt to mask his voice. He would recognise his deep baritone at any time and anywhere. He decided to play along. Play along dirty that is. “I don’t know.” Rin made his tone light and airy.

“Just guess,” the ‘stranger’ said close to his ear. Now his body felt light and airy. But he couldn’t break character yet.

Rin hummed. “Well, you can’t be Sousuke.”

“Oh, why is that?” Amusement was evident in his tone. “Is this Sousuke special?”

“He’s my boyfriend,” Rin started. Then to deliver the finishing blow, “And he wouldn't do silly crap like this.”

“Wha–” Sousuke squawked. His grip over Rin’s eyes, loosened. The redhead took the chance to spin around and pull the taller man into a kiss. They both smiled into it.

“Hey,” Rin said when they pulled away.

Sousuke grinned, “Hey.”

————

Ikuya stared at his phone. He’s been staring at it for at least half an hour.

He had already tidied up his apartment and completed his homework for tomorrow’s classes to pass time. And not once during any of those activities did his phone ring. That’s not true. It did ring many times. Just not from the person Ikuya wanted to hear from. No call. No text. Not even a message on Line. From Hiyori.

He scrunched his face. He thought back to earlier in the day. Hiyori said that Kisumi needed him at the studio. He also said that Kisumi made him join his dance club. How does that even work? They went to different universities, so how did Hiyori join Hidaka’s dance club? Was it open membership?

Several questions swarmed Ikuya’s mind. His train of thought was interrupted when he heard the front door open. “Ikuya! I’m here.” Natsuya’s voice echoed the apartment.

Ikuya didn’t move from his spot. “In here,” he said. He heard his brother coming over.

“Is there something wrong with your phone?” Natsuya asked. Ikuya shook his head. “Then why are you staring at it?”

Ikuya sighed heavily. “Hiyori hasn’t contacted me.” He felt a pout form on his face.

Natsuya’s brows furrowed. “Why? Did you guys have a fight?” He asked with concern.

Ikuya shook his head again. “No. I was with him earlier today.”

“Oh.” The relief was evident in his brother’s voice. “So, what’s the problem then?” Natsuya took a seat beside Ikuya, looking at him questioningly. “Are you okay?”

“I don’t know,” Ikuya muttered. He was still glaring at the black screen of his phone. As if, the longer he stared at it, Hiyori would magically send him a text. Or call him. Or magically appear at his doorstep. Or all of the above.

Natsuya chuckled. Ikuya switched his glare onto his brother. “What’s so funny,” he snapped.

“I don’t think I’ve ever seen you pout like that since you were a kid,” Natsuya said with a smile. Ikuya dropped the pout immediately, schooling his features to his usual indifferent expression.

“Whatever.”

“C’mon, why don’t you tell me what’s bothering you,” Natsuya coaxed. “Maybe I can help.”

Ikuya brought his knees up to his chin and wrapped his arms around them. “The thing is...I don’t exactly  _ know  _ what is bothering me.”

“What do you mean you don’t know what’s bothering you? Is it not about Hiyori not talking to you?”

“No. Yes. Maybe? I guess not really–I just–I feel–” Ikuya groaned in frustration. He buried his face into his knees. Natsuya rubbed his back comfortingly.

“How about you start from the beginning?”

And so Ikuya did. He told his brother everything that happened in the cafe. Even as far as to include the feelings he felt when he saw the couple doing corpus amounts of PDA. Natsuya listened attentively, not interrupting once. By the end of it, Natsuya looked contemplative. Ikuya waited in anticipation. It felt weird opening up to his older brother. It was something he hadn’t done for a long time.

“How long has it been since you’ve noticed him?”

The question took him by surprise. “What do you mean?”

Natsuya gazed at him directly. “I mean exactly that. Maybe a more appropriate question would be, when did you start to notice him?”

Ikuya was stumped. What does that even mean? He’s always noticed Hiyori. They’ve known each other for a long time, it was impossible for him to not notice him. “I’ve always noticed him.”

“I don’t think you have,” Natsuya retorted. Ikuya frowned. “I’m not asking you whether you’ve noticed that he existed, I meant, have you noticed him for, you know,  _ him  _ .” This only made him frown harder. His brother was talking in riddles and Ikuya didn’t have time for it. What was it that he wasn’t getting?

“I don’t understand.”

Natsuya’s eyes had amusement in them. “Ikuya…”

He waited in anticipation.

“I think you have a crush.”

Well, that was unexpected. He has a crush. A crush on Hiyori.

A  _ crush.  _ On his  _ best friend  _ .

Ikuya felt his mind explode.

“I have a what?”

  
  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you all enjoyed that! The next chapter will be about Asahi and Ikuya banding together for their mope-fest :D


	3. Just Keep Swimming

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi everyone! Thank you for those of you, who are still sticking around for this fic because I am invested too but I started working full-time and MAN I just haven't been able to find time to write. On my days off I'm like ded, BUT since this month is November and I want to participate in NaNoWriMo, I'm going to try to write as much as I can and then edit those chapters along the way!
> 
> Anyway, this chapter is unbetaed and I have proofread as I've written it but not as thoroughly as I would've liked. I'll go back and do that later when I have time. I just wanted to give you all something after such a long wait ^^;
> 
> Enjoy!!

Asahi closed his laptop with a sigh. He rubbed his temples, hoping to ease his headache that crept through the last leg of his assignment. Ever since his and Kisumi’s talk that night, Asahi couldn’t help but fixate on the fact that he had a chance with his beautiful, pink-haired friend. Which in turn, has also made it extremely difficult to focus on his school work.

Every time he pulled out his laptop to work on an assignment, his mind would drift off within minutes. It would fill itself with images of peachy locks, plump lips, and vibrant, indigo eyes. It was already bad enough that he daydreamed about Kisumi. In class no less. But when Kisumi followed into his dreams at night, Asahi knew that he had it  **_bad. Really bad._ **

It started off with memories of them in middle school. He dreamt about the time Kisumi nearly got him to join the basketball club from tricking him into signing the registration form. He dreamt about the time Kisumi called him a pervert for thinking his name sounded like ‘kiss me’ in English. And worst of all, he dreamt about the time Kisumi offered him his lap to sit on. Had he harbored these feelings in middle school, he might’ve indulged in the last two things. 

Asahi welcomed these dreams pretty easily. They were pleasant memories that he and Kisumi shared in the past. Things were different now. They’re grown up now. Back then, they were just friends. They’re still friends. But Asahi wanted more. He wanted more of Kisumi. The more Asahi wanted him, the more salacious his dreams got. 

He’s never had sex. It wasn’t something that he was ashamed about either. Even when he was dating his high school boyfriend, they had never gone any further than a steamy makeout session. However, this didn’t stop his dreams of exploring uncharted territories. Uncharted  _ sexual _ territories. 

Asahi ran a hand through his face. It was late and he was tired from finishing off that assignment, now was not the time to be thinking about Kisumi. And yet, that was all he did for the past week. Given how much time he’s procrastinated thinking about the pinkette, it was a wonder how he managed to submit his assignment before the deadline. 

_ I should go to sleep _ , he thought. Trudging his way to the bathroom, he brushed his teeth sluggishly. The fatigue was beginning to sink in. Asahi felt his eyes drooping as he finished washing up. Summoning the last bit of his strength, he trudged back to his bedroom and flopped onto his bed. Sleep took over him almost immediately. 

And so did the dreams.

This one didn't start the same way as the other dreams. Nothing about this one was innocent or romantic. It was straight up raunchy. 

_ Kisumi was sitting on top of him, gazing down with heavy-lidded eyes. Asahi was on his back, his hands gripping Kisumi’s waist tightly. He was sweating. Everything was hot.  _

_ “You ready?” Kisumi asked. Asahi gulped loudly. Despite his nervousness, he smirked in reply. _

_ “Isn’t that my line?” _

_ Kisumi had a cheeky smile on his face. He tilted his head to the side as he pursed his lips. “I’m ready for you to be inside me if that’s what you’re asking,” he said in a low voice.  _

_ Asahi felt goosebumps run through his body. He was so turned on. So hard and heavy. He felt himself leak. “God Kisumi,” he hissed, gripping Kisumi’s waist tighter. The pinkette let out a moan.  _

_ “Asahi, please.” Kisumi caressed Asahi’s toned chest with his hand. Tracing the defined lines, licking his lips as he gazed lustfully.  _

_ Asahi grinned, “Please what?” _

_ “Let me ride you,” Kisumi hushed, grinding his erection against Asahi’s. He leaned down to the redhead’s ear and whispered, “Please.” _

_ “Fuck,” he swore. He lifted Kisumi and positioned him over his erection. Asahi licked his lips as he pressed up against Kisumi’s entrance. “Ready?”  _

_ Kisumi answered by sinking down on him abruptly. Asahi choked at the tight sensation. Warmth enveloped him. He almost came right there and then. He tried to control himself. But once Kisumi started moving, overwhelming pleasure consumed him. _

_ “Ah–Kisumi–fuck–oh god,” Asahi groaned.  _

_ Kisumi had his hands on Asahi’s abdomen, using them as leverage as he rode him. He was moaning. Loudly. And it wasn’t just sounds of pleasure. He was moaning Asahi’s name. _

_ “Ah–Asahi, mo–ore,” Kisumi pleaded. Asahi thrust upwards, lifting his pelvis in time with Kisumi’s rhythm. The slapping of skin echoed throughout the room. He felt his climax nearing.  _

_ “Kisumi–I–ngh,” Asahi was so close. So so close. He slammed Kisumi down to his hips, burying himself to the hilt.  _

_ Kisumi arched his back in pleasure when Asahi pounded against his sweet spot. “Don’t stop,” he sobbed. “Please, please don’t stop.”  _

_ He couldn’t. The sensations of their lovemaking were too addictive. Asahi was losing himself. When Kisumi leaned down to catch his lips in an open-mouth kiss, he reached his peak. He was going to come at any moment now. Just a couple of more thrusts and… _

_ “I love you, Asahi.” _

Asahi’s eyes snapped open. His room was bright from the morning sun. He was flushed and panting heavily. His back was also damp with sweat but, that wasn’t the wetness that bothered him. He craned his neck to give himself a look over. 

He realised that he hadn’t even been able to get underneath his covers the night before. Thinking about his current predicament in hindsight, he’d say that he dodged a bullet. With a heavy sigh, he got up from the bed and took off his soiled bottoms, throwing them in his laundry hamper. His mind wandered as he did his morning routine.

The ending to that dream went from 0 to 100 really quick. Or more like, 70 to 120. The words lingered in his mind. It felt so vivid. And that’s what made everything all the more complicated. How was he even supposed to look at Kisumi in the face?

His previous dreams had only ventured as far as a climax during sex. This was the first time those words had ever been exchanged. Asahi wasn’t sure why he was freaking out. It wasn’t like Kisumi had said those words to him in real life. It wasn’t like anything in any of his dreams happened in real life. 

They have never held hands. They have never kissed. They have never cuddled. Nor have they made love. But Asahi wanted all those things. He would be okay with being able to hold Kisumi’s hand. To be able to caress the back of Kisumi’s hand with his thumb as he would gaze into those beautiful indigo hues. To be able to squeeze his hand gently and say…

“I love you.” Asahi wasn’t surprised at the words. And it was because it came out of his mouth. Not Kisumi’s. He was  _ in love _ with the pinkette. Very much so. 

That is why he needed a plan. He needed a  _ romantic _ plan to sweep Kisumi off his feet. A plan so  _ romantic _ that Kisumi would have completely swooned. 

_ But where to start? _ Asahi pondered as he scratched the back of his head. Then he realised that he still hadn’t gotten dressed since he dumping his soiled clothes into the hamper.  _ Should probably start with that _ , he decided.

\---

“Ikuya, calm down. It’s nothing to get worked up over.”

“What do you  _ mean _ it’s nothing to get worked up over?” Ikuya was freaking out. He was currently pacing within the tight space of his room. Natsuya remained seated on the floor watching him with exasperation. Ikuya didn’t miss his brother rolling his eyes at him. 

Natsuya sighed, “You’re being ridiculous.”

Ikuya was uncharacteristically hysterical. His heart was pounding hard and his palms were clammy. “I’m being ridiculous?  _ I’m being ridiculous? _ ” He fisted his hair. 

“Ikuya, c’mon–just–sit down first,” Natsuya suggested. Ikuya glared at him. “ _ Please _ .”

“You’re not the one who just found out that you have a crush on your best friend,” he snapped. “You have no idea what I’m feeling right now.” He was getting irritated. His brother was not making the situation any better. 

Natsuya looked at the ground. “Oh I dunno, I’m pretty sure I have a good idea on what that feels like,” he grumbled. 

“What?” 

“Nothing,” Natsuya recovered. “Anyway, why don’t you sit down and we can talk about this.” He patted the space next to him that Ikuya occupied only moments ago.

“Talk about it? There’s  _ nothing _ to talk about. It is what it is. I–I can’t…” He groaned into his hands.

“Ikuya,” Natsuya said firmly. He stood up and grasped Ikuya’s shoulders. “Listen to me. You’re not yourself right now. You need to  _ calm down _ . Take deep breaths.” 

The green-haired swimmer did as he was told. Closing his eyes, he breathed in and breathed out. “It’s not working,” he hissed in frustration.

Natsuya sighed, “Okay, look. Could you at least tell me what’s freaking you out so much? You know I don’t care about your preferences, right?”

Ikuya scoffed, “For someone who has a preference for anyone and everyone,  _ yes _ I know that. But that’s not what I’m freaking out about.” Natsuya winced at the jab. Ikuya’s face softened. “Sorry, I just...don't know where...to go from here.”

Natsuya looked confused. Ikuya bit his lip. His emotions were haywire. Natsuya was right. He wasn’t himself. He was much too overwhelmed by the glaring realisation of his romantic feelings for his best friend. He didn’t even know whether Hiyori was interested in dating, let alone guys. Let alone, him. 

“How could I even look at him in the face now?” Ikuya whispered. His entire world had turned upside down. His entire dynamic with Hiyori will change from here on out. How was Ikuya supposed to go about his day to day, when his crush is standing right next to him? 

“Ikuya, just because you have a crush on him doesn’t mean that you’re both no longer best friends,” Natsuya stated. Ikuya turned away from him with a huff. The annoyance was building up again. His brother wouldn’t understand. He wouldn’t understand the butterflies that Ikuya would get in his stomach from thinking about Hiyori. 

The couple from the cafe flashed back in his mind. He felt a familiar pang of longing in his chest. Longing for someone to hold him and kiss him and do cute things with him. Exactly like the couple at the cafe. It hurt. Ikuya would have to stand next to Hiyori knowing that he wouldn’t be able to do those things with him. He was Ikuya’s best friend. It wasn’t right for him to think of Hiyori in that way. 

“Why don’t you just tell him?” Natsuya asked bluntly. Ikuya’s eyes widened.

“I can’t  _ tell _ him. That is not an option,” he squawked. His elder brother wasn’t fazed. 

“What are you going to do then? Take this secret to your grave?” 

Ikuya looked down. He knew that Natsuya was right to some extent. Telling Hiyori wouldn’t be the issue. It’s dealing with the aftermath of the confession that scared the shit out of him. What if Hiyori wasn’t interested in Ikuya? What if Hiyori didn’t want to be friends with Ikuya anymore? Or even worse, what if Hiyori never wanted to swim with Ikuya ever again because of this? Tons of questions continued to fill Ikuya’s mind. 

“Maybe?” he squeaked. Natsuya smacked him lightly on the side of the head and then ruffled his hair vigorously. “Ah–Aniki–what the–cut it out–”

When Natsuya stopped, he had a wide grin on his face. “You really do like him don’t you?”

Ikuya did. He really  _ really  _ did. He felt a sob rising in his throat. “I do,” he breathed. It came out vulnerable. 

“Well, if you’re worried about him thinking you’re gross or if he’ll never be your friend again because of this, then you’re an idiot. He’s your  _ best friend _ . He’ll never leave your side.” Natsuya’s words were Ikuya’s saving grace. And yet, there was still a bit of doubt lingering at the back of his mind. “You need to trust him.”

Ikuya felt the lump in his throat getting bigger. He was trying extremely hard to not let out the waterworks. “I…”

“Ikuya. It’s going to be okay,” Natsuya reassured. The green haired swimmer nodded slowly. No longer being able to hold back his tears, he let them fall. He couldn’t find the energy to sob. He felt his brother pull him into a hug and slowly, he hugged back. 

Falling in love was something that people wrote about all the time. It’s always described as something beautiful and exciting. Ikuya thought that it was supposed to be a euphoric feeling. But he didn’t feel anything close to that at all. The only thing he felt as of that moment was vulnerability. 

\---

Natsuya closed the door to Ikuya’s apartment quietly. He was slightly worried about his little brother. It seemed that the whole crush situation was getting to Ikuya a lot more than he wanted. He initially wanted to visit Ikuya to escape his own issues. But seeing his brother in his current state, reminded Natsuya a lot of himself. Especially when he had been in that exact same position. 

Despite being brothers, they were still very different from each other and this stemmed to how they dealt with their problems. Perhaps Natsuya’s occasional rambunctious tendencies made him stare into the barrel of the gun, rather than freaking out. Though it had been easier for him to accept his crush at the time, the fact remains that he  _ still  _ has yet acted on it. 

For Ikuya’s sake, Natsuya hoped that his little brother didn’t follow his footsteps. While, he, on the other hand, was a lost cause. For years, he had never bothered to make a move because he thought accepting it was enough. It wasn’t. He wanted more. For a very long time. He didn’t want Ikuya to end up like him. He didn’t want Ikuya to miss an opportunity by being afraid. He wanted Ikuya to be happy.

Natsuya let out a groan and scratched the back of his neck. Before he knew it, he had already walked all the way to the nearest train station. He was so far into his own thoughts that he didn’t know that his legs were on auto-pilot. Tapping his SUICA card at the gates, he entered into the station and walked to his platform. 

It was a late night but the platform wasn’t deserted. Natsuya pulled out his phone and opened his contacts app. His finger hovered over a certain person’s number. He bit his lip as he contemplated whether to make the call or not. Then, he saw a flash of silver hair. His eyes widened as he swiftly looked over.

He was met with surprised bright blue eyes. It wasn’t him. It was a teenager that was much shorter, with a delicate looking face. Pretty. But not him. An orange-haired teenager then pushed between them. His golden eyes were striking that it might Natsuya flinch. They were so bright. The orange haired boy had his arm stretched out in front of the silver-haired boy. For some reason, Natsuya had a gut feeling that he’s met them somewhere before. They looked oddly familiar. 

Natsuya realised that there was clearly a misunderstanding. “Ah sorry, I didn’t mean to stare. I just thought you were someone else,” he apologised, raising his hand in surrender. The orange haired boy still looked apprehensive.

“You stared for a little too long in my opinion,” he said, pouting. 

“Momo-kun, don’t be rude,” The silver-haired boy groaned,  pushing the other away.

“Ai-senpai–”

Natsuya concluded that  _ Ai-senpai _ must be the silver-haired boy and the other,  _ Momo _ . Ai bowed his head, “I’m so sorry for his behavior. Please don’t mind him.” His voice was soft. A lot higher in pitch, but nonetheless comforting. He sounded really familiar. 

“Ahh no it’s okay, it’s my bad,” Natsuya replied sheepishly. He couldn’t blame Momotarou for being protective over his cute-faced upperclassmen. It was a sweet gesture considering Natsuya was probably intimidating in stature. Ready to mind his own business, he noticed that the two boys were looking at him intently. Just as Natsuya was about to ask what was wrong, it hit him. 

“You’re the captain of Samezuka’s swim club aren’t you?” 

“You’re Kirishima Natsuya-san, right?”

They both had spoken at the same time. Ai had a slightly panicked look on his face. Then he turned to Momotarou with a stern expression. 

“Momo-kun, I think you owe Kirishima-san an apology,” Ai scolded. Momotarou immediately bowed his torso. For some reason, Ai also bowed with him. Natsuya felt a little overwhelmed.

“I’m so sorry Kirishima-san! I didn’t recognise that it was you,” he apologised with his eyes squeezed tight. Natsuya chuckled and gestured for the other boys to straighten up. 

“Please you don’t have to do that. I’m sorry again for startling you,” he said. “It’s nice to see you both again, by the way.”

Ai perked up. “Ah yes,” he confirmed with a smile. “It’s nice to meet you again, Kirishima-san.” Momotarou nodded enthusiastically in agreement. 

Natsuya smiled back. “So, what are you two doing all the way in Tokyo?”

“We’re here for the high school swimming nationals,” Ai explained. “We were just out having dinner.” Natsuya noticed a faint blush on Ai’s cheeks.

“Yeah, it was our anniversary dinner,” Momotarou stated with pride. “We have been dat–” Ai slapped his hand over Momotarou’s mouth, hissing loudly. Natsuya widened his eyes in amusement. 

“Momo-kun, you can’t just go off broadcasting that to people,” Ai whined. Natsuya chuckled at their antics. 

“But  _ Ai-senpaiiii _ I want everyone to know how happy I am,” Momotarou whined back after he freed his mouth from Ai’s death grip. He grasped both of Ai’s hands, gazing into his eyes. “I’m very glad that I was able to finally spend a night with you alone,” he said, completely ignoring Natsuya’s presence. While he, on the other hand, was slightly surprised to hear about their relationship. 

“Momo-kun, we’re roommates. We’re always spending the night just the two of us,” Ai retaliated. Even so, Natsuya could see the redness on Ai’s face gradually becoming opaque. 

He wanted to commend Momotarou for being so shameless. He was completely unapologetic about his feelings that he was ready to let the whole world know. Or at least, everyone on this platform. There was a thing or two that Natsuya could learn from him. 

“Happy Anniversary,” Natsuya said. Ai and Momo looked at him in surprise. “Treasure the bond you guys have,” he added with a wink, showing that he knew exactly what sort of  _ bond  _ they actually had. 

“O-oh thank you, Kirishima-san,” Ai flustered. Momo nodded awkwardly and bowed his head. 

Natsuya felt a surge of adrenaline. Suddenly, he knew what he wanted to do.  _ Needed  _ to do. Something that he should’ve done a long time ago. It had taken him years to find a new dream in his swimming career. But with  _ this _ , he didn’t want to run away from it any longer. 

“You both have a good night, I realised there is actually something I need to take care of,” Natsuya said with a wistful grin. “Good luck for nationals by the way.” He patted both of their shoulders. “You’ll both do great I’m sure.”

Big smiles bloomed on Ai’s and Momotarou’s faces. “Thank you, Kirishima-san!”

An announcement rang through the speakers on the platform. The train was about to arrive in a matter of seconds. “I’ll see you guys around,” Natsuya said, before turning on his heel walking back towards the stairs. To where he needed to go, he had to change platforms.

As he walked up the stairs, he was able to snag a glimpse of Momotarou and Ai. He caught them sharing a chaste kiss before they disappeared of his line of vision.  _ Ai wasn’t able to resist in the end, huh _ ? he thought. Natsuya felt himself getting fired up. He used to feel nervous. Anxiety. Now, all he felt was excitement. 

The train ride felt excruciatingly long. He couldn’t wait until he arrived. So much that he decided to sprint over. After climbing up the stairs at the complex, two steps at a time, he briskly walked over to the apartment. Flushed and mildly panting, from both exercise and anticipation, Natsuya raised a shaky fist and knocked on the door. 

He hoped that he wouldn’t have to wait too long. He didn’t want his nerves to suddenly take over him. Luckily for him, the door opened within a matter of seconds. A beautiful, bespectacled man answered the door. The one that Natsuya was ready to make his. 

“Natsuya, what are you doing here?” Mild surprise. 

“Nao,” Was all Natsuya said before he wrapped his arms around Nao’s waist, pulling him in close. He buried his face into the silky, silvery locks.

Nao let out a small yelp, clearly surprised at the abrupt action. He pushed against Natsuya’s chest, craning his neck back to look at the taller man in the face. “Wha–Natsuya? What are yo–”

Natsuya interrupted him with a hungry kiss. He wasn’t met with resistance. Nao’s lips moved languidly against his. Natsuya shifted one arm from Nao’s waist to cup his cheek, his fingertips brushing against his hairline. He used his other hand to grasp at Nao’s waist, pulling him closer so that they were chest to chest. 

They only parted for a moment to breathe before he dove in again to reclaim Nao’s lips. Natsuya caught Nao’s bottom lip and nipped at it, coaxing the smaller man to open his mouth. He didn’t waste any time and penetrated Nao’s mouth with his tongue. The latter wrapped his arms around Natsuya’s broad shoulders and moaned into the kiss.

The kiss wasn’t romantic. It was spontaneous and heated. Natsuya felt desire consume him. It seemed to be the same for Nao too. They started grasping at each other’s clothes. Hands were wandering, searching for openings in their clothing to find a patch of bare skin. Suddenly, Nao pulled back, breaking the kiss. He was breathing heavily.

Natsuya was startled. “Nao–ah–what are you–”

Nao held a finger to his lips, silencing him. His glasses were slightly skewed, but his eyes were clouded with lust and longing. “Let’s take this inside,” he said in a low tone. Natsuya gulped loudly. His heart was pounding hard in anticipation.

The romance would have to wait until they were done. 

\---

As soon as Ikuya entered Maron, Akane greeted him with a big smile and Tsukushi in her arms. “Oh, Ikuya-kun! Welcome.” She took Tsukushi’s chubby arm and made him wave.

Ikuya smiled softly. “Hello, Akane-san,” he greeted back. He walked over to the bar and took a seat. 

“Is there anything I can get for you?” she asked, shifting Tsukushi over to balance him on her hip with one arm.

“A pistachio latte would be great,” Ikuya replied. Sugary drinks weren’t usually good for his diet, but he didn’t care. He needed it. He hadn’t been able to get much sleep ever since his talk with Natsuya. 

After he realised his  _ big, fat crush  _ on Hiyori, he became too anxious to get a good night sleep. Luckily for him, Ikuya hadn’t met Hiyori since this epiphany. He wasn’t sure whether that was a blessing or a curse. 

“Alright, pistachio latte, coming right up,” Akane said. Before she was able to move Tsukushi to a high chair, the baby suddenly reached for Ikuya over the bar. “Oh? You want to go with Ikuya?”

Tsukushi was giggling as he made grabby hands at the swimmer. He was leaning forward with all of his weight, making Akane shift at the movement. Tsukushi was fidgeting in excitement as Akane tried to readjust her grip on him. Once she lifted him over the bar, Ikuya instantly took him into his arms. 

Looking down the baby’s chubby face, he felt his heart melt. Tsukushi cooed and babbled gibberish whilst clutching Ikuya’s clothing. He played with the zipper on Ikuya’s jacket, flicking it with his stubby fingers. 

“Ah Ikuya-kun, I think we ran out of pistachio syrup. I’ll quickly duck out to grab some now,” Akane called out as she looked through the pantry. 

“Ah no that’s okay. I’ll just have something else,” Ikuya said. Akane waved him off.

“It’s fine. You look like you need it. You’ll be fine to take care of Tsukushi for a little while, right?” she asked. 

“Oh, thank you. And yes, of course,” Ikuya nodded. Akane smiled back gratefully. Taking her apron off, she fetched her purse and walked around the bar. 

“Great, I’ll be right back.” Ikuya watched her exit the cafe. The bell ringing as the door shut. He looked back down at the baby. Tsukushi was staring at him with his big doe-like eyes.

He hugged Tsukushi tightly and sighed heavily. “What should I do, Tsukushi?” he muttered. “Should I just tell him?” The baby cocked his head to the side, as though he also wasn’t sure. Tsukushi reached up and patted Ikuya’s cheek. Perhaps his own way of trying to comfort Ikuya. Tsukushi must have sensed his distress and Ikuya wanted nothing more than to cry at his sweetness.

“Maybe I should just tell him,” he sighed. 

“Tell who what?” Ikuya jolted at the sudden voice. After the initial shock, he turned around to glare at the culprit. Asahi had a grin on his face. “Sorry for scaring you, by the way,” he said, taking a seat next to Ikuya. 

Tsukushi beamed at his uncle and made a noise of delight. He turned in Ikuya’s arms, trying to reach for Asahi. The redhead’s grin widened at the gesture. Instead he ruffled the baby’s hair and patted back. “Hey buddy, I’ll carry you when Ikuya’s ready to let you go,” he teased.

Ikuya pouted. “He’s your nephew.” He placed Tsukushi onto his lap so that the baby could get a clear view of his uncle. 

“Yeah but you look like you could use his affection right now,” Asahi said. “So, who do you need to tell what?”

“Can you please talk properly.” Asahi didn’t need to, Ikuya was just trying to avoid the topic. “Stupid Asahi,” he added later. 

The redhead scoffed. “Don’t try to avoid the subject Ikuya. Your face says that there is something bothering you.”

“I’m not bothered.” He was lying through his teeth. Even Tsukushi looked up at him questioningly. 

“Your shoulders are hunched to your ears. I can see the tension through your clothing,” Asahi stated. Ikuya immediately tried to relax his shoulders. “C’mon, tell me what’s wrong.”

Ikuya looked away. “It’s nothing.” Asahi wasn’t having it. 

“If it was nothing, then you wouldn’t be trying so hard to avoid talking about it,” he retorted. Ikuya twisted his lips. He wasn’t sure whether he should tell Asahi about his current predicament or not. “Ikuya, you’re my friend. I care about you. If there is anything I can do to help, then I will,” Asahi said softly. 

Ikuya looked at Asahi. His violet eyes were filled with concern. Ikuya let out a small sigh, thumbing Tsukushi’s cheek as he contemplated. “I’m not sure if there is anything you can do,” he said softly. 

“Try me.”

“Okay,” Ikuya settled. “Recently, I found out that–” Tsukushi interrupted him with a whine, startling both of them. He started fidgeting in Ikuya’s arms. 

“He’s probably just uncomfortable in that position,” Asahi said. Plucking Tsukushi from Ikuya, Asahi placed the baby’s head on his shoulder, supporting him with one hand underneath his bum and one on his back. Tsukushi let out a satisfied sigh and nuzzled into Asahi’s neck. 

Ikuya couldn’t help but smile at the sight. “You’re a good uncle,” he commented.

Asahi grinned back. “Thanks. Anyway, you were saying…” he prompted. 

“What?”

“C’mon Ikuya, don’t play with me.”

“I’m not playing with you.”

Asahi narrowed his eyes. “Ikuya. Seriously.”

He tsked, knowing that Asahi won’t let him go until he coughed it up. “I...uhm…” Ikuya started. “I recently found out that…” he twiddled his thumbs. “Actually, before I tell you, can you please promise me not to freak out?” Ikuya looked at Asahi pleadingly. 

He realised that his current dilemma could be interpreted in two ways. One, he was in love with a man. Two, he was in love with his best friend. Ikuya wasn’t sure if Asahi would be accepting of the first factor, which was something he needed to find out. He was almost 90% sure that Asahi wasn’t close-minded, but one can never be too sure. 

“I promise,” the redhead said with absolute seriousness. “I mean it Ikuya, if it’s something I can help with, I will try my best.”

Ikuya took a deep breath as he mentally prepared himself. This would be the first time he would talk about his crush on Hiyori outside of that conversation with Natsuya. He had used up a whole week to marinate in his thoughts. More often than not, overthinking about hypothetical scenarios of how his confession to Hiyori would go. 

“I like Hiyori.”

There. He said it. He finally said it. Ikuya felt a sense of relief wash over him. Asahi wasn’t fazed whatsoever.

“Okay.” Ikuya’s eyes widened in surprise.

“What?”

“What, what?” 

“That’s it?”

Asahi’s brows furrowed in confusion. “Yes, that’s it. What else did you want me to say?”

Ikuya felt a little appalled. He had expected a slightly bigger reaction. One with phrases like  _ ‘What? No way!’  _ or  _ ‘Wow, that really sucks’ _ . “I don’t know,” he replied lamely. 

“You seriously thought that I was going to freak out about that?” Asahi’s voice held amusement. “Give me some credit.”

“Asahi. I have a crush on a man.”

“So?”

“He’s also my best friend.”

“And?”

“Wha–” Ikuya squawked. 

Asahi grinned. “I _don’t_ _care_ about any of that stuff. You’re still you. You can love whoever you want.”

Ikuya wanted to cry for the second time that afternoon. He swallowed down the lump in his throat. “Thank you, Asahi. That really means a lot.” 

“Are you crying?” Asahi teased, leaning in closer. Their noses were a couple of centimeters apart. 

Ikuya scoffed and turned his face away. “No.”

Asahi chuckled. “Welcome to the club, by the way.” Ikuya frowned. Did Asahi like Hiyori too? That can’t be right. Asahi seemed to have sensed Ikuya’s thoughts because he suddenly shook his head vigorously. “Oh! No no no no! I meant–”

Ikuya shushed him suddenly. Asahi’s eyebrows furrowed. “I think Tsukushi fell asleep on you,” Ikuya explained. He craned his neck and saw that the baby, indeed, fell asleep in Asahi’s arms. 

“Oh.” The redhead looked over his shoulder and saw Tsukushi’s peaceful, sleeping face. He turned back to Ikuya. “Okay, back to the topic at hand.  _ No _ . I am not in love with Toono,” he whispered.

“Good.” A curt reply.

Asahi rolled his eyes. “Seriously Ikuya, I’m not going to steal your man.”

“He’s not my man.”

“But you want him to be,” Ikuya pouted at the retort. “Anyway, what I meant before was that I’m on the same boat as you. I’m also in love with my best friend,” Asahi elaborated. 

“And who’s that?”

“Kisumi.”

“Ew.”

“Oi.”

“Sorry,” Ikuya said with a small grin. “But out of all of the people you could’ve fallen in love with, it  _ had  _ to be one of the flirtiest guys we know?” 

He was mildly surprised. But he wasn’t sure whether it was because Asahi was also in love with a man or it was  _ whom  _ he was in love with. Ikuya knew that Asahi and Kisumi were really close. He also heard that they kept in contact even after Asahi moved away. Perhaps, the feelings weren’t spontaneous?

“Yeah I know,” Asahi chuckled. “I only kind of realised recently.” He patted Tsukushi’s back as the baby slept – who was surprisingly a deep sleeper. 

“Welcome to the club,” Ikuya sighed. He folded his arms on the bar and rested his head on them, letting a small sound of frustration. “This sucks.”

Asahi nodded in agreement. “Yeah. Being in love sucks.”   
  
  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, I know I said that Ikuya and Asahi will have a pity fest in this chapter, but I will leave that for the next chapter! Thought a heart-to-heart was necessary before their pity fest hahah
> 
> For real tho, next chapter will feature Asahi and Ikuya having a pity fest :D


End file.
